Why Do So Many People Sniff Books?

Once upon a time I worked in the campus library at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania. It was a dream job for me because of how much I've always loved books and the size of the library was huge compared to the nearly one room library I'd grown up in. To this day my Mom loves to tell the story of when I first saw the Baron Forness library on our trip there for an open house day before I had even applied. I walked into the lobby of this 7 story library, took a deep breath in through my nose, smiled and looked at the librarian then asked "Can I live here?" as I sank to my knees in awe. At least that's how my Mom tells it. If I remember correctly the answer from the librarian was "I think the college has rules against that." Part of the joy I felt in that library came from the glorious intermingling smells of books both old and new. For me there has always been something enchanting about the smell of books. That smell is like a living aura which can tell those who recognize it many things about the books around them. That first smell of a library or bookstore I've never been in before tells me so much about the type and age of books on the shelves; I think of it as an olfactory card catalog.

It turns out there's a lot of science behind not just why books smell but the fact that old books smell different from new ones. Scientists have been studying the causes of "Old Book Smell" for years, to learn not only what causes it but also as a way to help determine the age and condition of very old books. It all comes down to the breakdown of chemical compounds in the paper and binding. The folks at Compound Interest put together a great infographic about the science behind both old and new books smells.

I used to think that I was alone in loving the way books smell, but as e-readers have become more popular I have seen more people online expressing their love of it. So many memes and social network posts expounding on that mysterious and delightful scent must have gotten someone's attention because now there are ever increasing numbers of products on the market simulating it. From candles to high-end perfumes, bibliophiles have more and more options for keeping the smell of books in the air about them even when they can't be in the library.